Football Association Initiates Safeguarding Inquiry into Premier League Club Executive

The Football Association has commenced a safeguarding inquiry concerning a Premier League club executive, approximately one year after a BBC investigation. That prior investigation revealed that the individual continued in his role at the club, even though three women had reported him to the police for alleged sexual offences. One of these women informed the BBC that the FA had not protected women and girls, having taken no measures, despite her age being under 16 when the alleged incident occurred. Subsequent to reports published by the Sports news outlet The Athletic, the BBC has received confirmation that the FA has now launched its own inquiry, prompted by a police determination to discontinue further action. A representative for the national governing body stated that while it refrains from commenting on specific cases, it possesses “robust safeguarding measures in place”. An email from late October, reviewed by the BBC, shows that the FA extended an invitation to one of the complainants, referred to as Kate, for a meeting to discuss her experiences as a component of their safeguarding investigation. The FA also noted that it would be unable to disclose any specifics of its investigations to her, including any final outcome. Kate initially contacted the FA in July 2023, informing them that she had reported the man to the police for a historical rape, which she states occurred when she was 15. Nevertheless, she holds the belief that the FA took no action until the present time. “Football authorities and [the] government seem to have turned a blind eye, deaf ear and chose to say and do nothing to protect females from the threats he poses to girls and women,” she communicated to the BBC in response to the announcement of an FA inquiry. Although Kate expresses satisfaction that the investigation has commenced, she articulates significant worries regarding the absence of transparency concerning any measures undertaken. “We need assurances that all females at the club are safe,” she further stated. The executive was additionally investigated in 2021 following an accusation that he sexually abused another 15-year-old during the 1990s. No subsequent action was pursued in that instance due to legislation stipulating that for an offence of “unlawful sexual intercourse” occurring between 1956 and 2004, where the alleged victim was a girl aged 13 to 15, a complaint had to be filed within one year. The BBC also conversed with a third woman, who claims that in the late 1990s, the boss confined her in a room while attempting to coerce her into sexual activity. She states this incident occurred during a job interview when she was in her early 20s. The police have now discontinued all three investigations. In November of the previous year, the BBC discovered that since 2020, seven of the 20 Premier League clubs have had either players or executives investigated by the police for sexual offences. FA regulations solely address the appropriate response to allegations of this kind if they arise within a “football environment,” or if the concerns pertain to children or vulnerable adults. The governing body’s policies permit the imposition of an interim suspension order, which prevents the individual from participating in some or all activities within the sport while the investigation proceeds. This type of order may be imposed when the FA obtains information that leads it “reasonably to believe that a person poses or may pose a risk of harm”. The newly launched inquiry will be overseen by the FA’s professional game safeguarding manager. A representative for the national governing body stated: “We investigate and assess all allegations and concerns about individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children and adults at risk in football and, where applicable, can impose proportionate safeguarding measures in accordance with FA safeguarding regulations.” Should you possess information regarding this report that you wish to share, please make contact. Email hannah.price@bbc.co.uk. Furthermore, if you are impacted by any of the matters discussed in this report, reach out to BBC Action Line for information on advice and support. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.